Hunter's Moon Read online

  The “shrink” happened to be an Elven healer, and he had been instrumental in helping Raven overcome her PTSD. Rafé, too, for that matter. In fact, Angel and Rafé would have split up if it wasn’t for the work the healer had done.

  “I’ll think about it,” I said, staring at the floor, which was now neat as a pin. Or at least, it was no longer littered with the scattered contents of multiple file folders. I glanced over at Yutani, wanting to ask him something that had been on my mind for a long while. “Yutani…you mentioned your aunt took you with her when the village forced you out. What about your mother?”

  He froze, his gaze never flickering. “That’s a sore spot,” he answered. “My mother ceased to be my mother the day I walked away from that village and she, like the others, turned her back on me. She knew it wasn’t my fault that the village had burned to the ground. I haven’t heard from her since that day. She knows that Celia is in contact with me, but she’s never once asked about how I am. And if you don’t mind, I’d rather you didn’t bring her up again.”

  I bit my lip. His mother had obviously hurt him deeply and for that he couldn’t forgive her. But I also knew what it was like to lose my parents—and I didn’t have a chance for a do-over. I paused, then said, “I’ll respect your wishes. But before I do, I’m going to say one thing, and I’ll leave it at that. If you think there’s a chance that you can reconcile, don’t wait too long. Life happens, people die.”

  Yutani stretched, yawning before he turned to me. “What about your grandfather? Would you give him another chance, if he was still alive?” That felt like a low blow—which Yutani was quite capable of—but the message was loud and clear.

  “I get the message. I won’t bring her up again. To answer your question, no, I wouldn’t give him another chance. I’d kill him again, if the situation played out the same.”

  “Then you’ve answered your question to me, as well. All right, back to work. Rhiannon is supposed to be here in about twenty minutes, Angel told me.” He headed back to his office.

  I stared at his retreating back. If what his mother did was even remotely as bad as what my grandfather had done, then Yutani had a very good reason for cutting her out of his life. But a tiny voice in the back of my brain kept telling me that he didn’t know the whole story, that there was more there than he knew about. Trouble was, it wasn’t my place to get involved, and I really didn’t want to lose his friendship.

  As Angel ushered her into Herne’s office, Rhiannon looked just as majestic as she had the year before when she first visited our offices. The past sixteen months had worn on her, however—that much was evident in her eyes. She was a tall woman, with pale skin that bordered on cerulean, and her long white-as-snow hair flowed down to her thighs, straight as spun platinum. At first glance, she looked like she should have blue eyes, but they were a rich coffee brown instead. She was wearing a lavender pantsuit, with a pale blush blouse. Silver earrings and a Chanel handbag gave her an old-money feel, and she was unmistakably an aristocrat. But when she smiled, it was genuine, and washed away any sense of elitism that might linger on someone else.

  “Herne, Ember,” she said, holding out her arms. I gave her a hug, and she shook Herne’s hand. But as I turned back to my chair, she caught my left hand up, holding it up to the light. “What’s this?” She looked up at me, then at Herne. “Is this an engagement ring?”

  Herne had given me a sapphire, set into platinum. On either side of the square-cut solitaire were diamond and amethyst baguettes. I had gotten used to wearing it over the past months, and while I took it off before we went out in the field, exchanging it for a plain silver band, I treasured the ring and my hand felt naked without it.

  “Yes,” I said, grinning. “You’ll be getting a save-the-date card as soon as we decide on an actual day, but it will be next autumn.”

  “Congratulations to both of you. You’ll make a spectacular couple.” She paused, then glanced at Herne. “Does this mean she’ll be going through the Gadawnoin? The ritual to elevate her to deityhood?”

  “Yes. My mother will prepare her.” Herne stood behind his desk, motioning for Rhiannon to take a seat in one of the wing chairs opposite his desk. “Ember will be joining the goddesses who rule over the Faerie Realm.”

  Rhiannon blinked, a look of surprise crossing her face. “That should be…”

  I tried not to laugh. She knew all about Saílle and Névé. “Interesting?” I asked.

  “Well, I suppose that’s the best way to put it,” Rhiannon said. Then, after a moment, she leaned toward me and said, “How do you think they’re going to take the news?”

  “Oh, they’ve already heard the news and…shall we just say the response was immediate. The intrigue started within the first few moments. I’ll tell you all about it later.”

  Rhiannon snorted, leaning back in her chair as she gracefully crossed one leg over the other. “Oh, that must have been a delight to watch.”

  The hippocampi didn’t consider themselves part of the Fae world—nor did they consider themselves shifters. While they probably could fit into either, they tended to view themselves as isolated, unique unto themselves.

  “I’d rather not talk about it.” There wasn’t much I could say. The two would make my life as miserable as they could for as long as they could.

  “What are you going to do?”

  I shrugged. “I suppose I’m running on the premise that I’ll deal with it when I get there. Anyway, what brings you here? Is it Straff?”

  When we had found out that Straff had escaped, one of the first things we had done was to inform Rhiannon. At that point, we hadn’t counted on him returning to the former scene of his crimes, but now I was glad we had already given her the warning.

  “Not really, though he is a concern. But there’s another problem. I suppose Angel told you about the missing teens?”

  “Do you think Straff took them?” I asked.

  Rhiannon shook her head. “No, actually. Though several murders have occurred that lead me to think he’s returned, this is something I think is totally off his radar. Please don’t say anything to anybody else until you’ve had a chance to look into it.” She sounded so serious that we all leaned in, waiting. “I suspect that one of the members of our Pod has been acting as a go-between to procure sex slaves for buyers on the Dark Web. I can’t prove it, though. And I’m reluctant to put any member of our Pod in danger by asking them to look into it. There’s also the danger that I might end up asking someone involved on the other side.”

  I caught my breath. The thought that one of the hippocampi might be going up against their own people seemed almost profane. But there were rotten apples in every bushel. I glanced over at Herne. “Could Yutani track this down, if it’s on the Dark Web?”

  “Maybe,” Herne said. “He’d probably need more to go on, though.” He frowned, leaning back in his chair. “So you think whoever is abducting the girls is selling them?”

  Rhiannon nodded. “We reported it to the police, but they haven’t found a trace of the girls. We aren’t a large Pod. I can’t imagine that whoever is doing this can keep going for long, not without being found out. But we’re big enough so that I can’t just pinpoint the slaver. Not to mention, I fear that if we catch him, he might never tell us where those girls went. I want them back.”

  “Are they the type to run away?” I asked.

  “No, that’s the thing. Twinkle and Lecada are at the top of their classes—well, each one in a different field, but they both are stellar students. They help out with charity events, and neither have ever been in trouble. Lecada was on her way home from studying with a classmate when she vanished, and Twinkle was on her way home from the range—she’s into the biathlon—when she disappeared.” Rhiannon shook her head. “I know that Straff is on the loose again, but…there’s something about these girls’ disappearances that just doesn’t jibe with his MO.”

  She looked so worried that I immediately wanted to jump in with an offer
to help, but the decision wasn’t my call. Herne ran the agency, and he was the one who decided whether we took on cases or not. But right now, I had little doubt by the look on his face. His eyes had clouded over and he looked like he wanted to find a punching bag. Herne hated crap like this, and he was almost always willing to help out when women and children were being exploited.

  “We’ll do what we can. I can’t promise you anything, but we’ll come over. We need to look into Straff’s escape anyway. My father’s ready to tear apart Whidbey Island to find him and the guard who helped him. If I were her, I’d pray that Straff killed me before Cernunnos finds her. Do you realize what sort of punishment lies in store for disloyalty to a god?” He shuddered. “I wouldn’t trade places with her for all the world.”

  “Thank you. I can’t ask for more than your help,” Rhiannon said. “You might want to stay out at the Pod this time. The hotel you were at last time is undergoing renovations. We have two bungalows at the encampment for VIP guests of the Pod. I have license over who gets to use them, and right now, I’ll assign them to you for as long as you need. When shall we expect you?”

  “Given this is a time-sensitive case, we’ll head over to Whidbey Island tomorrow morning.” Herne stood, bowing graciously.

  She smiled as she headed for the door. Glancing back over her shoulder, she said, “Ember, congratulations and best of luck. I don’t envy you. Stepping into the world of the gods won’t be easy. I hope it serves you better than it did me when I was faced with that choice many years ago.” Before I could ask what she was talking about, Rhiannon vanished down the hall.

  Breathing a heavy sigh, I turned toward Herne. “She almost underwent deification? What for?” It seemed odd that we didn’t know this. But then again, we didn’t know all that much about the water-horse shifters.

  “I’m not sure,” he said, staring at the door. “Will you ask Angel to order lunch and call another meeting? I’ll be there in a few moments. I need to make a couple of calls.” He gave me a peck on the cheek, telling me he really was preoccupied, and I headed out of his office, stopping at Angel’s desk to ask her to order lunch.

  Chapter Three

  As we once again gathered around the break room table, Yutani opened his laptop. I wandered over to the window, staring out into the drizzling rain. The sanitation workers were making the rounds—they had been collecting the trash on Fridays, but now we were on their Monday route. The truck rattled and hummed as the massive pincers picked up the dumpster and emptied it into the back of the truck.

  Turning back to the others, I saw that Angel was accepting bags of food from the Anton’s Fish Shack delivery guy.

  “That was fast,” I said, helping her carry the bags of chowder and fish and chips to the table.

  “They just had to bag it up and run it over. They have a couple delivery boys who are quick as lightning. They like the tips.”

  “Chowder,” Viktor said, licking his lips. “Yum.” He glanced at me. “Wearing a sweater?”

  I nodded. “I’m cold.” I had grabbed a sweater from my office because the building seemed unusually chilly this morning.

  Herne entered, also wearing a cardigan over his polo shirt. “Furnace is on the blink, guys. It’s going to get a lot colder in here before the landlord manages to fix it. He’s sending someone over, but they won’t even get here until mid-afternoon. So bundle up. It’s forty-three degrees outside and it’s going to feel like that in here before long.”

  “Wonderful,” Talia said, shaking her head. “We should just buy this building and become our own landlords.” She held up one hand when Herne started to answer her. “Don’t even start. I know you don’t want to, but it makes sense. Either that or find a new office space.”

  “I know. But it will be fine. I’ve offered to handle the payment if he picks a reputable guy and not his cousin again.” Herne shook his head. “We’re not going to be subjected to Jamie again.” For years, the landlord’s cousin had “handled” repairs, leading only to yet more costly repairs to fix his fixes. “Actually, I know that I’ve balked about the idea of buying the building in the past, but I’m starting to think it might be a good idea.”

  “Well, think harder, dude,” Talia said. “All right, what did Rhiannon have to say? Was it about Straff?”

  “Yes, and no. Mostly no, though that worries her as well. But Rhiannon has a different concern.” He repeated what Rhiannon had told us. “So, they have a potential slaver in their midst.”

  I grimaced. “When I was little, I imagined other groups—like the Ante-Fae, or the shifters—were more likely to police themselves on a consistent basis, but apparently I was wrong. I can’t imagine someone in the Foam Born Pod being callous enough to sell off members of his own people—especially teen girls—to use as…” I drifted off. The concept of selling someone to become a sex slave made me cringe. How people could be so cruel did not compute.

  “Unfortunately, there are plenty of men—and women—who wouldn’t think twice about it. We’re going to need to go into this cautiously.” Yutani’s gaze darkened. “The Dark Web is a place where people disappear. If the buyer even has the remotest inkling that we’re onto his case, chances are likely that the girls will vanish for good. The men who buy these women won’t hesitate to dispose of them if they think they’re going to get caught.”

  “Crap,” I said. “I hadn’t even thought of that. Then we have to go in undercover.”

  “That’s easy enough,” Herne said. “We can just say we’re there to investigate Straff’s escape—which will be true. We use that as our main guise and we should be fine.”

  “Good thought,” Yutani said.

  I told them about the bungalows. “This time we won’t need to check for bugs—”

  “Wrong,” Yutani countered. “Never, ever underestimate intelligence. Our slaver may well think that we’re there for the reasons we give, but if he’s got any worry at all, or any paranoia about being caught, then he could easily rig up surveillance equipment. We bring our zapper with us and I’ll go through the bungalows.” He was quickly typing notes on his laptop.

  “Are we all going?” Angel asked. “Me, too?”

  “Yes, and Rafé,” Herne said. “Tomorrow we’re scheduled to check out Keri Cleandra’s place, but I’m thinking…” He paused, then said, “Angel, call her and cancel. Give her Wager Chance’s name and suggest she ask him. Tell her we have to go out of town and we’re not certain how long we’ll be gone. Don’t charge her for today’s visit.”

  Angel nodded, jotting down instructions. “I can do that. So, I don’t have to book a hotel over on Whidbey Island?”

  “No, we’ll stay at the encampment. That will give us the chance to interact more and to meet anyone Rhiannon might suspect is behind the disappearances of the two girls.”

  “Question: How are we going to investigate the disappearances when we have to keep our real reason for being over there secret?” Viktor asked. “If we go around asking questions of their parents and friends, the slaver might well get wind of it and vanish.”

  “Good point,” Herne said. “We do as much research as we can before we leave. Talia, this afternoon, I want you to see what you can find out via the grapevine, but be careful. Yutani, I’d like you to take a run onto the UnderSurf and see if there’s anybody requesting to purchase water-horse shifters in particular?”

  Yutani grimaced. “I can do that. I do know of a few slave sites.”

  The UnderSurf was one of the biggest sites on the Dark Web—the dark side of the internet. The Dark Web required work and caution to access, especially if you wanted to retain anonymity.

  The UnderSurf provided those dealing in human trafficking—the buying and selling of any sentient being—a place to meet and bargain. There were three other major sites on the Dark Web, among which were the UnderShot, a place to buy and sell arms and weapons that were technically illegal to traffic, the UnderCast, where hitmen—both magical and physical—left their resumes for th
ose looking to hire for murder, and the UnderWyre, where exotic—and usually illegal—goods were sold. Together with all the minor sites of similar kind, the Dark Web was a dangerous place, all the way around.

  “What else should I do?” Angel asked.

  Herne frowned. “Why don’t you put together a list of everything we’re going to need for the trip so that we don’t forget anything. Everyone, be sure to drop off your equipment needs to Angel, so she can put them on the master list.”

  “What the hell are we going to need?” I asked. “We’re not only going after Straff, but whoever this guy is? I guess standard weaponry, but…”

  “I’ll think of whatever I can in terms of surveillance equipment, and so on. We’ll need packs, just in case we have to do any wandering out in the foothills, and it probably wouldn’t hurt to bring along someone to deal with the undead. Let’s not forget the fallout from Typhon’s presence has crept everywhere.” Yutani wrinkled his nose. He really didn’t like the undead.

  “That reminds me,” I said. “Ashera’s over on Bainbridge Island with a few of the other Celestial Wanderers and the Mountain Dreamers. Do we want to ask her if she’d like to hop over to Whidbey and see us?”

  Ashera was a blue dragon—a water dragon. The Dragonni were split into several factions, and some of them took after Echidna, the Mother of All Dragons. Those were friendly, and even helpful to humankind. The ones who took after Typhon, their father—the Luminous Warriors—were the red, white, and shadow dragons. They were the ones out to enslave the world, now that they were back in it.

  “We can. But Yutani’s right. We do need someone who can deal with the undead. Do you think Raven would agree to come along?” Herne asked.

  “I’m not sure,” I said. “She and Kipa have been sticking pretty close to home since her father came to visit.”

  “Give her a call, if you would. And tell Kipa I expect him to come with us, so Raven might as well.” Herne cocked one eyebrow, grinning. “That may jog her out of her nest.”